Only the Lonely - Take the L - Mission of Mercy - Suddenly Last Summer

Their songs exemplified the sound and their MTV videos embodied the look of L.A.’s “new wave” in the 1980s. This special show celebrates the 36th anniversary of their breakthrough LP, “All Four One,” and reunites original lead singer Davis with founding member and keyboardist Marty Jourard.

Rather than being considered a singer/songwriter, Martha considers herself a songwriter/singer. She discovered her singing voice after she began writing songs at the age of fifteen. Born and raised in Berkeley, California, Davis moved to Los Angeles in the early ‘70s with her group The Warfield Foxes. They continued their musical career renaming themselves, The Motels, but soon disbanded.

A new lineup of The Motels was created and they were signed to Capitol Records in 1979. Their debut album Motels, produced the hit single Total Control in Australia. Their 1980 album Careful charted in the U.S. with the single Danger. It was the third album, All Four One, that achieved gold record status with the Top Ten single, Only the Lonely, followed by 1983’s Little Robbers that produced another Top Ten single, Suddenly Last Summer. Their fifth album Shock included the single Shame. Throughout the 1980s The Motels were present on the charts and through their iconic videos and live performances.

Today, The Motels continue to record and perform provocative new material. The lineup of players includes Nicholas Johns, Eric Gardner, Clint Walsh and original member Marty Jourard. Davis describes the current band as “the best Motels ever.” The Motels are touring the U.S. playing new material, alongside songs from their vast catalogue. Their Twenty-Seven song CD collection If Not Now, Then When was released March 11, 2017, consisting of songs recorded between 2002-2006. Their newest album, The Last Few Beautiful Days, is expected out late 2017.​

Community Involvement

The Tower is a hub for culture, connections, and artistic experiences. It is “Bend’s Living Room.” Hundreds of nonprofit and community organizations use our stage each year. And the next generation of theatre-goers enjoy LessonPLAN programs that engage their minds and hearts.